Electrical connectors have been provided in a wide variety of configurations for terminating multi-conductor cables, both discrete wire cables and integral flat or ribbon cables. With the ever-increasing miniaturization of electrical connectors and the ever-increasing numbers of wires in multi-conductor cables, electrical connectors of the character described have become increasingly complicated in order to accommodate relatively large numbers of conductors terminated in relatively small connectors. This is particularly true when the multi-conductor cable is a shielded cable and, consequently, the electrical connector must have shielding capabilities, such as providing a shielding backshell for the conductors and shielding means for the terminals terminated to the conductors.
Because of the ever-increasing miniaturization of such electrical connectors, extraneous connector hardware for facilitating assembly of the connector components practically has been made prohibitive, and assembly of the connectors often must be accomplished by interengageable and complementarily configured connector components which are assembled together by elements or parts of the components themselves fitting together in a fixed relationship in final assembly. This becomes very difficult to accomplish and still provide desirable features in the connector, such as guide means for the discrete wires, trimming the wires or conductors to appropriate lengths, isolating exposed ends of the conductors, providing strain relief for the cable as well as the conductors, providing ground connections for drain wires in the cable, providing reliable connections between the shielding components of the connector and other features which would appear to be impossible to incorporate in a single, small connector for a large number of conductors and respective terminals.
This invention is directed to providing an electrical connector of the character described which provides all of the features listed above in a connector assembly which is easy to assemble and reliable in terminating the conductors to respective terminals.